The six sisters and two others were kidnapped almost a week ago by armed men in Haiti’s capital city, Port Au-Prince. The Archbishop there confirmed their release in a statement- thanking those who “offered their support.”
This includes Pope Francis, who just a few days after their capture, used his Angelus greeting to petition for the release of the religious.
“I have painfully learned of the news of the kidnapping in Haiti of a group of people, including six nuns,” Pope Francis said. “In earnestly requesting their release, I pray for social harmony in the country and call on everyone to stop violence, which causes so much suffering to that beloved people.”
The day before the hostages were freed, the Catholic Church in Haiti held a day of prayer and Eucharistic Adoration to organize quote “a chain of unceasing prayers” for those kidnapped.
The issue of gang violence in Haiti has grown increasingly in the last year. According to the United Nations, about 2,500 people were kidnapped by gangs in 2023, an 80% rise from the previous year.
It is not clear who was responsible for the nuns’ kidnapping, but it is believed to be one of the gangs that has taken over Port Au-Prince.